Challenges Caused by the Conflict of parents' Expectations with the Curriculum in the Primary School: An Analysis of Teachers' Experiences

Subject Areas : Research in Curriculum Planning

بهبود یاری قلی ^{1 *} , Zahra Abolghsemi ² , Sirous Asadian ³

1 - Associate Professor, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. Tabriz, Iran.
2 - M.A in Curriculum Planning, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. Tabriz, Iran.
3 - Associate Professor, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. Tabriz, Iran.

Received: 2025-01-12 Accepted : 2025-10-01 Published : 2025-10-18

Keywords: Curriculum, Elementary school, Parents' expectations, Teachers' challenges, ,

Abstract :

The aim of the present study is to investigate teachers' experiences of challenges arising from the discrepancy between parents' expectations and the approved curriculum in the elementary school, which was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological method. The research participants included 3,200 elementary school teachers in Tabriz city. The sampling method of this research is purposive and criterion-based. For this purpose, teachers who met the criteria of teaching experience of at least 5 years and a bachelor's degree or higher were selected. This sampling continued until the theoretical saturation stage (15 people) was reached. Their experiences of challenges arising from the discrepancy between parents' expectations and the curriculum were examined through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and were analyzed using the Collaizi seven-step method, which were categorized into 5 main themes: expectations of individualization of education, inconsistent expectations regarding homework, inconsistent expectations regarding teaching methods, inconsistent expectations regarding book content, and inconsistent expectations regarding evaluation. The results of the study indicate the tolerance of pressures exerted by parents on elementary school teachers and the necessity of paying attention to informing parents about the regulations and rules governing the curriculum and strengthening the status and role of teachers in the public mind.

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